Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1887-11-02
STURGIS ADVERTISER.
GROW . HARBERD, ProprIetors.
scinda. the Negro P1iestress.

s
Grenada, Mass, letter TO The New
Orleans Picayune: Grenada county
furnishes new theocracy, which is
interesting. Along after the war q
negro woman named Scinda, who was
q slave of Captain Mitchell, a farmer
Of this county. suddenly revealed 1t to
the world that she had been inspired
by God, and was servant of His to
direct His people, both black and white.
She organized band of exhorters. and
went from farm to farm, pleading with
both colors to quit their meanness.
Her band grew, and now it numbers
something like 800 members of her
color.
In company with some friends I
drove out to her church, which is stu
ated three miles from here, Sunday
evening. Long before we reached the
church we could hear the picking of
the banjo and the shutting Of feet.
Allghting, Scinda. arrayed in gorgeous
red and yellow, came to the door to
greet us and welcome us in. The
church is small structure made OF
pine logs. Around on the walls hung
here paraphernalia used in her marches
through the country. In the centre of
the room stood a little table covered
with a red cloth of gortesque figures of
white sewed on it. This is where the
members speak.
Wnen we arrived soldier was
telling his inspirations of the day. He
consumed about ten minutes, then they
danced and sang, and played the banjo
and shouted. When dancing begins
they all stand up, and as many as can
join hands until circle is formed.
They march around and around, sing
ing their own chants, occasionally
stopping, and each one goes through a
ssshuffie" TO the music of a banjo.
This performance lasts about ten min
utes then another breaches. then a
dance, and SO on until a few minutes
before they break up for the day. Then
every voice is hushed and stiffness
preyades the house.
Rising slowly ard deliberately from
her seat, Scinda, the priestess of this
new, original and strange religion, pro-
ceeds to the appointed stand. Every
one watches her with wide-eyed wonder
and is eager to catch every syllable of
her utterance. Her sermons are short
and to the point.
She claims that every word escaping
her lips is from God. Her sayings are
original and some of them not devoid
of good sense. In her sermon Sunday,
among other things, she said: "Some
of you darkies are like hoecake
cooked only on one side. You come to
church, and, oh, nothing is too good
for you to do. You sing and pray, and
dance and shout, until one would think
you are ready for heaven. Monday
comes. you show the raw side. You
are with the world; you steal, you lie
and do everything that is wrong. That
is not the kind OF religion we want.
We want the hoecake cooked through
and through; when you break it in the
middle let it be brown as it is on tn
bottom Speaking of Law, she said
no law could be made too stringent for
her. She wanted every violation of
Gods will punishable on earth as we'll
as in the world to come. "The judges
of our courts" she said, sought to be
baptized in the grace of God; the Bible
ssys that lawyers ought to be good and
honest, and prose cutting attorneys
ought to be chockfull of religion" She
insists on personal cleanliness, and il
this she is not far from godliness. She
rigidly enforces honesty and the
prompt payment of debts.